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Bertram Cooper
Never without a bow-tie, Bertram Cooper was one of the founders of Sterling Cooper in 1923 along with Roger Sterling Sr.Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, and is a founding partner in the newly formed Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce advertising agency. Sterling Cooper Cooper's eccentric nature sometimes masks his crafty, cunning side. When Pete attempts to blackmail Don about his past, Cooper cleverly eliminates the problem by claiming that he doesn’t care.The Wheel Merger A founding partner of the original Sterling Cooper, Bertram expressed his distaste at the idea of selling it to British agency Puttnam, Powell, and Lowe, but eventually agreed to the merger. After PPL is sold to the McCann Erickson agency, Cooper realizes that he will most likely be forced into retirement, and becomes a partner in the new agency.Meditations in an Emergency When Conrad Hilton's lawyers persist in Don signing his contract before they do any business, Cooper's has no qualms about using Don's past to coerce him into signing. "Would you say I know something about you, Don?" he asks. "I would," Don agrees. "Then sign," Cooper says.Seven Twenty Three A New Company When rumors of the purchase of parent company of Sterling Cooper reached Don Draper, he pushed Burt Cooper and Roger Sterling, the original senior partners, to attempt a purchase of the company. After presenting an offer, they realized it was a lost cause, until they hit upon an idea. Pryce, the representative from PPL with authority over everyone at Sterling Cooper, agreed to fire the senior partners, thereby severing their contracts (including the no-compete clauses in their contracts). They secretly rounded up a list of clients loyal to them and stole important documentation that would smooth the transition. They then secretly selected Pete Campbell, Peggy Olson, Joan Holloway, and Harry Crane as the first employees.Shut the Door. Have a Seat One Year Later Bert's contribution to the firm seemed to have diminished. He consistently likes to point out to the other partners that he does not even have an office. He is sometimes seen lounging around in the lobby. When they got word that Honda was looking for a new advertising agency, Bert was actively involved due to his knowledge of Japanese culture. Roger was against the very thought of working with the Japanese, and in the middle of the meeting with the Honda executives, Roger burst into the office and started a rant, stating that they "don't want any of your Jap crap." After he left the room, Bert and the other members of SCDP apologized for Roger's rude behavior, but he soon realized that their chances had likely been blown when Honda did not send them a gift in the following days.The Chrysanthemum and the Sword When it is revealed that Lucky Strike is no longer going to remain in business with SCDP, Bert told Roger that he failed because since Roger never took himself seriously, neither did Lee. He was active in trying to bring in accounts and hold on to current accounts when the crisis hit the rest of the firm's business.Chinese Wall Bert was frustrated with Don's full page ad of "Why I'm Quitting Tobacco," mentioning the hypocrisy of including Don's name and not the rest of the partners. Don declared that he was able to get a good night sleep, to which Bert declared he was resigning from the agency. He last says of Don, "We've created a monster." On his way out he tells Peggy and Stan that "It's been a pleasure," to slightly confused facesBlowing Smoke However, by mid-1966 he had returned to the agency, with no explanation given. Notes While listening to Roger Sterling's tapes for his book, it was revealed to Don and Peggy that Cooper had his testicles removed in an orchiectomy by Dr. Lyle Evans which was in fact unnecessary.The Suitcase References Category:Sterling Cooper Category:Male Category:Characters Category:Sterling Cooper Employee